Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s turns on the Buckingham Palace balcony went viral on TikTok after Princess Kate’s big return to the limelight for Trooping the Colour.
Kate’s first public appearance of the year was for King Charles III’s birthday parade alongside Prince William and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
And in the days afterwards, Harry and Meghan’s own turns on the palace balcony for Trooping went viral on TikTok.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry during their two joint appearances on the Buckingham Palace balcony in June 2018 and 2019 for Trooping the Colour. The two events went viral on TikTok.MAX MUMBY/INDIGO/GETTY IMAGES
A montage of the two events, in June 2018 and June 2019, was liked 3,700 times and viewed 131,000 times.
It was posted with the message: “In lieu of Trooping the Colour 2024, here is a look back on Harry and Meghan being adorable on their balcony appearances.”
The appearance on June 9 came just weeks after Harry and Meghan’s wedding on May 19 that year, but during what was needless to say a pressured time for the duchess due to the disintegration of her relationship with her father.
Thomas Markle staged pictures with the paparazzi for money, was exposed by the Mail on Sunday and then pulled out of the wedding after suffering heart attacks.
Harry wrote in his biography Spare how the event initially went well until Meghan appeared to offend the royals: “We returned just in time for the official June celebration of granny’s birthday.
“Trooping the Color: one of our first public appearances as newlyweds. Everyone
present was in a good mood, upbeat.
“But then: Kate asked Meg what she thought of her first Trooping the Color. And Meg joked: ‘Colorful.’ And a yawning silence threatened to swallow us all whole.”
The second clip shows Harry and Meghan’s appearance at Trooping on June 8, 2019, when she wore a navy blue dress by Clare Waight Keller, who designed her wedding gown for fashion house Givenchy.
The parade again came at a difficult time for the couple who had three months earlier split off from Kensington Palace where they had previously shared a private office with William and Kate.
The relationship between the brothers had deteriorated, however, with Harry and Meghan moving out to Windsor and creating a new office at Buckingham Palace.
The two couples kept their distance on the balcony that year as well, with Harry and Meghan on Queen Elizabeth II’s left and William and Kate on her right.
Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
Meghan Markle’s touching concern for attendees at a royal engagement during a rainstorm in 2018 has featured in a new viral video, after footage from the duchess’ first major tour following her marriage to Prince Harry resurfaced on TikTok.
Meghan married Harry in an elaborate ceremony at St. George’s Chapel near Windsor Castle, Berkshire, England, in May 2018. She served as a working royal until March 2020, when the couple split from the monarchy and moved to the U.S.
During her time as a working royal, Meghan undertook a number of overseas visits with her husband, representing the British government and Queen Elizabeth II. The largest of these took place in October 2018, where the couple embarked on a tour of the South Pacific, including Australia and New Zealand.
The tour coincided with the 2018 Invictus Games, the veterans sporting event headed by Harry, which was held in Sydney, Australia, that year.
Meghan Markle clutches her hands under an umbrella at a Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy visit in New Zealand, October 30, 2018. Footage from the engagement has gone viral on TikTok. NEW ZEALAND HERALD – POOL/GETTY IMAGES
During their visits to Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand, Harry and Meghan met with the country’s prime ministers, as well as a broad cross section of their populations for charity and official events.
Captioned “Meghan Markle wanting umbrella’s for the kids in the rain,” the video has been viewed over 113,000 times so far, and gained in excess of 4,100 likes and numerous comments, many of which have praised the royal.
“I love her sm [so much],” wrote one user, with another adding: “Lovely Meghan.”
Harry and Meghan’s South Pacific tour was widely considered to have been a success in Britain, with the couple drawing large crowds and positive publicity. However, in their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry said the trip marked a turning point in relations with his family.
“My father, my brother, Kate and all the rest of the family, they were really welcoming,” the prince said of his family’s reaction to Meghan joining their ranks. “But it really changed after the Australia tour, after our South Pacific tour.”
“That’s when we announced we were pregnant with Archie. That was our first tour,” Meghan said, to which Harry responded: “But it was also the first time that the family got to see how incredible she is at the job. And that brought back memories [of Princess Diana].”
Since their split from the monarchy in 2020, Harry and Meghan have continued to travel internationally to attend philanthropic events.
In May, the couple undertook a three-day visit to Nigeria to attend events connected with the Invictus Games and the couple’s Archewell Foundation.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek‘s royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
Since splitting from the monarchy in 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have launched new careers in the entertainment and philanthropic spaces in the U.S., and their efforts have been acknowledged.
From their home in Montecito, California, the royal couple have created production companies for documentaries and podcasts, published books, voiced campaigns and donated thousands of dollars through their Archewell charitable foundation.
With their post-monarchy work, Harry and Meghan have won both praise and criticism, with a side helping of controversy too. Despite this, several high-profile organizations have sought to publicly recognize their work in both entertainment and philanthropy.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Germany on September 15, 2023. The duke and duchess have been presented with a number of awards since splitting from the monarchy.CHRIS JACKSON/GETTY IMAGES FOR THE INVICTUS GAMES FOUNDATION
The couple have accepted a number of prestigious awards over the past four years, providing them with an important and validating range of accolades to support their future roles and projects.
Here, Newsweek looks at the high-profile awards that Harry and Meghan have accepted since their split from the monarchy, from human rights recognitions to podcast prizes.
Harry, a former Apache helicopter co-pilot in the British Army who served two tours in Afghanistan, has been honored for his work with the Invictus Games, of which he is patron. The games serve as an international platform to showcase the mental and physical rehabilitation of wounded, sick and injured veterans through sport.
Though objections to the prince being given the award have been raised online and by Tillman’s mother, ESPN backed the decision, saying in a statement: “While we understand not everyone will agree with all honorees selected for any award, The Invictus Games Foundation does incredible work and ESPN believes this is a cause worth celebrating.”
Living Legends of Aviation
In January 2024, Harry was inducted into the Living Legends of Aviation group, at a star-studded California awards ceremony.
The awards honor figures who have made “significant contributions to aviation and aerospace” during the course of their careers. Harry was recognized for his service in the British Army Air Corps as a helicopter co-pilot.
Women of Vision
Meghan was honored for her “global advocacy to empower and advocate on behalf of women and girls” at the 2023 Women of Vision Awards in New York City.
The duchess, whose work to better the causes of women’s rights and social justice predated her marriage into the royal family, was presented with the honor at a red-carpet awards ceremony by her friend, the journalist and feminist icon Gloria Steinem.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the Women of Vision awards in New York City in May 2023. The duchess was presented with her award by Gloria Steinem.KEVIN MAZUR/GETTY IMAGES MS. FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award
Harry and Meghan were named recipients of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award in December 2022 for the work the couple have undertaken in promoting racial equality, social justice and mental health.
The couple attended the awards ceremony in New York alongside Kennedy’s daughter, Kerry Kennedy, who praised their “willingness to speak up” and “moral courage.”
At the time, the couple announced that their foundation would partner with the organization to launch their own award, the Archewell Foundation Award for Gender Equity in Student Film, which “recognizes exemplary student filmmakers whose videos profile women human rights defenders.”
NAACP Image Awards—President’s Award
Another award that Harry and Meghan were honored with, which had a focus on their work in promoting racial equality and social justice, was the President’s Award at the 2022 NAACP Image Awards.
NAACP President Derrick Johnson praised the couple for having “joined the struggle for equity both in the U.S. and around the world” since leaving the royal family.
The award win was coupled with the announcement that the royals’ foundation would launch a new award in partnership with the NAACP, the NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the NAACP Image Awards in California in February 2022. The couple received the President’s Award on the evening. EARL GIBSON III/NAACP
People’s Choice Award—Pop Podcast 2022
In 2022, Meghan received a professional podcasting boost when her first solo show Archetypes won a People’s Choice Award in the “Pop Podcast” category.
Meghan didn’t attend the awards show in person, but subsequently released a statement paying tribute to the hard work of the team that helped make the show such a success.
“Thank you to all the supporters and fans of Archetypes who voted for us for this special People’s Choice Award. I loved digging my hands into the process, sitting up late at night in bed, working on the writing and creative. And I loved digging deep into meaningful conversation with my diverse and inspiring guests, laughing and learning with them, and with each of you listening,” she said.
“It has been such a labor of love with an amazing team who were each instrumental in helping to bring this series to life. Above all, huge thanks to each of you who voted. Your support means the world.”
Gracie Award—Top Entertainment Podcast Host
Another award came for Meghan in 2022, in the form of recognition for her podcast hosting skills.
The duchess was named “top entertainment podcast host” for Archetypes at the Gracie Awards, founded by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation.
In a statement, Meghan thanked the organization for the “prestigious honor” and paid tribute to her team and the show’s “inspiring guests.”
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek‘s royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
Prince William’s advice to Prince Harry about where he should get married made the duke snort, the royal’s biography revealed.
Harry asked his older brother for help deciding where to hold his wedding to Meghan Markle in May 2018, but appeared unimpressed by the reply.
The Duke of Sussex was already engaged at the time and had been on a public tour of Britain with his wife-to-be, who was undertaking her very first royal jobs.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are seen alongside Prince William in a composite image taken from the Sussexes’ wedding day, at St George’s Chapel, in Windsor Castle, on May 19, 2018. BEN STANSALL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES/CHRIS JACKSON/GETTY IMAGES
Harry suggested Westminster Abbey, where William and Princess Kate got married in 2011, and St Paul’s Cathedral, where King Charles III married Princess Diana in 1981.
“On our return from that trip I rang Willy,” Harry wrote, “sounded him out, asked his thoughts about where we might get married. I told him we were thinking of Westminster Abbey.”
“No good. We did it there,” William replied. “Right, right,” Harry said. “St. Paul’s?” William said: “Too grand. Plus Pa and Mummy did it there.”
“He suggested Tetbury,” Harry wrote. “I snorted. ‘Tetbury? The chapel near Highgrove? Seriously, Willy? How many does that place seat?’”
“Isn’t that what you said you wanted—a small, quiet wedding?” William replied. Harry wrote: “In fact we wanted to elope. Barefoot in Botswana, with maybe a friend officiating, that was our dream. But we were expected to share this moment with other people. It wasn’t up to us.”
Harry described how he had wanted a quick marriage to avoid giving the press and paparazzi time to “do their worst,” but found the palace had struggled to pick a date.
Needless to say, the couple got engaged on November 2017 and were married six months later at St George’s Chapel, in Windsor Castle, on May 19, 2018.
That was two months after the prince’s initial suggestion: “How about March? Alas, March was all booked. How about June? Sorry. Garter Day.
“At last they came to us with a date: May 2018. And they accepted our request for the location: St. George’s Chapel.”
It’s not entirely clear why Prince William felt Harry and Meghan could not return to one of the venues picked for previous royal weddings as Princess Eugenie married her husband Jack Brooksbank at St George’s Chapel five months later in October 2018.
Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
Prince Harry’s nanny formed a striking first impression of the young royal when he was born, according to a former royal courtier.
In an interview with former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown in 2023, Lady Anne Glenconner, who served as a lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret for over three decades, revealed that a royal nanny told her she believed Harry was “born angry.”
Glenconner was close friends with Barbara Barnes, who had worked looking after her own children for 12 years before she left to join the royal household of the then-Prince and Princess of Wales (Prince Charles and Princess Diana).
Prince Harry photographed in London, May 8, 2024. And (inset) as a baby with nanny, Barbara Barnes, in Scotland, March 25, 1985. Harry was “born angry” according to a courtier.KARWAI TANG/WIREIMAGE/DAVID LEVENSON/GETTY IMAGES
In recently published video footage from an interview with Brown promoting a second edition of her memoirs, Whatever Next? Lessons from an Unexpected Life, Glenconner was asked about Barnes’ impression of Harry considering she worked for Charles and Diana from William’s birth in 1982 to 1987, when he and Harry were three and one years old respectively.
“Barbara adored Prince William,” she told the magazine editor. “Harry, I think, was a bit more difficult when he was small.”
Glenconner remains close with members of the royal family and in 2023 she was a guest at the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla in London.
In the same year, Glenconner told Newsweek that she had not read Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare, stating that though he was a second-born royal much like her friend Princess Margaret, the princess wouldn’t have published a book like his.
“I haven’t read Prince Harry’s book and I’m not going to read it. I think it would upset me; it’s all too sad,” she said. “Princess Margaret would never have written a book like that. She was loyal.”
Barbara Barnes maintained a low profile during her years as a royal nanny and thereafter.
An insight into her working life with William, Harry, Charles and Diana was provided by royal biographer Robert Lacey in his 2020 book Battle of Brothers.
“I treat all my children as individuals,” he quotes her as having told the press in a rare on the record comment. “I’m here to help the princess, not take over.”
Royal nanny Barbara Barnes photographed with Prince William (L) in New Zealand, April 17, 1983. And Lady Anne Glenconner (R) photographed in London, June 4, 2013. Barnes worked for Glenconner before joining the royal household…ANWAR HUSSEIN/GETTY IMAGES/MAX MUMBY/INDIGO/GETTY IMAGES
Lacey credits Barnes with having “picked up and strengthened the family ethos of brotherliness,” between William and Harry but also noted that her closeness to her two charges could have contributed to a breakdown in her relationship with Princess Diana.
Barnes left royal service in January 1986 and afterward maintained her relationship with Glenconner, rejoining her family for a brief period to assist in the recovery of her teenage son, Christopher, who had entered a coma after a motorcycle accident while traveling abroad.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek‘s royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III and Queen Camilla, William and Princess Kate, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you.
Meghan Markle lives in California with her husband and two children
The Duchess of Sussex is gearing up for a summer of ‘relaxing and having fun’, according to a royal source
Meghan Markle is looking for a “remote island” with Prince Harry, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, royal sources have claimed.
The Duke and Duchess relocated to the US four years ago where they are raising their two children, aged five and three respectively.
According to an insider, Meghan, 42, is seeking sanctuary on a “remote island” with her family following Independence Day, which is celebrated on July 4 in the US.
They said: “As usual she and Harry celebrated with the kids but she wants to use the next couple of months relaxing and having fun after a stressful year so far.
Meghan looking for a ‘remote island’ with Harry, Archie and Lilibet, a source has claimed
Getty / Netflix
“Meghan wants to get away with Harry and the kids to a remote island so they can just have fun as a family without any outside pressure and be in complete luxury.
“Archie and Lilibet are at that age now where they can do more adventurous stuff and Meghan has even talked about a trip to Disneyland as she knows they will be well looked after there and how much the children would love it.
“Lili is very into Disney princesses right now and would be in her element.”
According to the insider, the Duchess of Sussex also wants to have some solo trips with her close female friends.
Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet have not visited the UK since Archie was bornNetflix
They continued to tell OK!: “As much as family time is the priority, Meghan also wants to spend more time with her friends and do some girly trips away and have a pampering weekend.
“She’d also like her and her friends to also go on a trip somewhere with the kids, maybe a bit of glamping in one of the National Parks.”
Earlier this year, Meghan announced a new venture with her lifestyle brand, titled American Riviera Orchard.
The official launch is expected in the next few months, with products like jam and dog biscuits likely being available to purchase on the brand’s official website.
Meghan Markle launched American Riviera Orchard earlier this year
Getty
Meghan Markle will celebrate her birthday in August
GettyThe source added: “She knows she’s got a busy autumn coming up with lots of new work commitments so she just wants to concentrate on family and friends this summer as she won’t have as much time for it in the run-up to the end of the year.
“Plus it’s her birthday in August but she’s letting Harry arrange that and surprise her with something as he has always done.”
The Duchess of Sussex will celebrate her 43rd birthday on August 4.
A woman named Maria Gonzalez, who used to work as the housekeeper at the Montecito estate of our daring Duke and Duchess of Deceit, has stepped forward with the mother of all claims. Gonzalez is outright alleging that she, not Meghan, is the actual biological mother of Harry and Meghan’s daughter, Lilibet.
Unbelievably, if this is true, it would mean that Harry and Meghan’s hollow victimhood rallying cry of “she’s my baby, my literal flesh and blood” has been a deceitful sham from day one. All their grand self-promotional narratives about fighting the good fight for mothers and proudly embracing her multicultural heritage with Lilibet are a total fabrication, fueled by the most serious betrayal imaginable—stealing another woman’s biological child. Has there ever been a more disgustingly cynical attempt to empower your vapid brand at someone else’s expense?
supporting women’s causes, Meghan has repeatedly revealed herself as the epitome of self-serving elitism mixed with blatant hypocrisy. Her claims of being an oppressed voice for the marginalized are constantly undermined by entitled actions that harm and marginalize those around her.
þPrince Harry is being honored for his impact on the veteran community through his Invictus Games Foundation.
As this year’s recipient of the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the upcoming ESPY Awards, the Duke of Sussex, 39, says, “This one is for our entire service community.”
After a decade in the British Armed Forces, including two tours in Afghanistan, Harry founded the Invictus Games in 2004 to empower wounded, sick, and injured servicemen and women through sports. The event has since become a worldwide phenomenon, changing the lives of soldiers in dozens of countries.
“I truly believe that we are at our best when we’re in service to others, and Invictus is all about upholding that value,” Prince Harry told PEOPLE in 2022.
Harry’s] a veteran, and like all vets, when we get together, we talk, laugh, joke and tease each other. He’s just like one of the guys,” retired Chief Master Sgt. Garrett Kuwada, who competed for Team USA at the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf, Germany, in 2023, previously told PEOPLE. “He makes you feel like you’ve known him forever.
It’s a deeply personal cause for him. He makes himself really accessible to all the competitors – he is involved in every aspect of the Games,” retired U.S. Army Captain Will Reynolds told PEOPLE.
The Prince of Wales was seen attending Taylor’s Eras Tour concert at Wembley Stadium as he busted out some wild dance moves.
He was then invited backstage to meet the singer and took along his two eldest children – Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, he explained: “Because of Taylor’s considerable clout, her friendliness towards William may very well be unnerving to Meghan.
If Swift publicly endorsed or supported the Duchess in any way, it would immediately bring a cascade of adoring Swifties into her camp.”
Taylor’s close relationship with William comes after she declined Meghan’s “personal letter” to appear on her Archetypes podcast. Meghan is believed to have reached out to Taylor to join her on her podcast last year but was rejected by the singer.
According to the Telegraph, Meghan wrote a “personal letter” to Taylor, asking her to appear on Archetypes, “but the singer declined, through a representative.” Despite the snub, Ryan doesn’t believe it will have been damaging to Meghan’s brand.
He explained: “I don’t think Taylor’s decision will be damaging to Meghan. If a number of high profile celebrities and power brokers were to begin publicly dissing or distance themselves from Markle, the fallout would certainly diminish her standing.”
Loose Women stars Denise Welch and Stacey Solomon clashed over working from home during a debate on Loose Women in June
Denise Welch has slammed suggestions that she and her Loose Women co-star Stacey Solomon will no longer work together, following their on-air disagreement about remote working last month. As the pair’s differing opinions played out live, social media users speculated that they wouldn’t be sharing the panel again anytime soon, leading to reports that Stacey had “refused” to work with her.
A month on, Denise, 66, has now dismissed the claims, revealing on an American podcast: “We had a discussion on a discussion show, where you’re supposed to discuss things and maybe disagree.
“We disagreed on something, it was about young people and work ethic and since Covid, have Gen-Z become a bit more lazy and entitled, it was one of those kind of Loose Women things.
“Stacey said something about nurses and the NHS which provoked a great big reaction, and I actually agreed with her.” After seeing a report claiming that the Sort Your Life Out star had refused to work with her again, Denise felt compelled to debunk the “complete lie” on her social media.
Denise Welch said a claim that Stacey Solomon refuses to work with her is ‘a complete lie’(
Image: (Image: ITV))
She clarified on the Scheananigans podcast: “We’re encouraged to disagree about things, it’s a talk show!”
During the debate, mother-of-five Stacey, 35, argued that remote jobs with flexible hours had made life easier for working families, especially those with children. Denise went on to complain about the lack of available staff nowadays and claimed that Britain is “grinding to a halt”.
She exclaimed: “We haven’t got the staff, where are the staff?”, reports the Express. “They’ve disappeared!”
In response, Stacey pointed out: “They don’t disappear because they’re working from home,” which prompted Denise to retort: “But, where are they Stace?”
Stacey then argued that many people actually prefer working from home, especially when seeing professions like nursing being undervalued and under paid.
According to Stacey, the pandemic has demonstrated that people can perform “adequate if not better” from their own homes, countering the traditional office-based work environment, which Denise didn’t seem to agree with.
As the debate unfolded, many flocked to the platform X to share their thoughts.
One viewer declared: “I doubt we’ll see Stacey on with Denise for a while… Stacey has the stones to defend her thunder. ”
Another praised: “Stacey absolutely wiping the floor with Denys [clapping hand emojis] #LooseWomen.”
A third added: “What a shame Stacey is stepping back from TV, she’s the only redeeming feature of #LooseWomen. “.
